The Reeducation of Arche Eeb Rile Furt
by wedgegeck
Summary: Ainz happens to overhear an emotional girl among the workers camped out before Nazarick, and takes an interest in her. Arche lives, but what kind of life will she lead now?
1. The Last Job

**The Reeducation of Arche Eeb Rile Furt**

Chapter One: The Last Job

* * *

It was only by chance that Ainz happened to overhear the discussion. After his earlier questions, his conscience, such as it was these days, was clear; these workers had already agreed that the risk of their lives was balanced against the reward of this job. He had nothing to apologize for now.

As he walked over to see Nabe putting up their tent, however, he happened to catch a few words from a nearby worker team huddled around their campfire. If the girl had not been so emotional, perhaps her voice might not have even reached his excellent hearing. As it happened, though, he paused as he heard the girl's bitter voice.

"They're probably going to be sold into debt slavery by my worthless parents if I die here! Damn it, damn it, damn them—"

"Arche, you're not going to die here! You'll go back, take your little sisters away from them, and keep them safe. Then I promise that they'll have at least one good uncle and aunt to come by and visit." A soft, kind voice replied.

"Hey! Are you saying I'd be the bad uncle?" Ainz could hear the ham response, and sure enough there came a quick reply.

"Hekkeran, you're the one who jumped to that conclusion..."

The group chuckled, and the young girl dried her tears.

"Arche, when you get back you'll be sure to find a better way to get by. You've got a talent just like that Triad Caster Fluder Paradyne, right?" A deep gentlemanly voice said.

"Thanks, guys. I'm sorry." The girl sniffled. "It was just... worse than I expected when I saw them at... home. I'm sorry that my parents' stupidity had to get even you guys involved."

"Come on, we agreed to do this job. We're teammates, right?" The soft, woman's voice asked soothingly.

"Helping a friend in need... that's just common sense, Arche."

Ainz twitched as he heard the last remark, and saw the burly man reach out a hand to pat the blonde girl on the shoulder. He walked on to Nabe.

"Momon-sa—san, your quarters are now finished. Please excuse the delay."

"Don't bow, Nabe. It's fine."

"Thank you, Momon-san."

Ainz sighed, then shook his head. "I'll check the rest of the gear. I have a task for you, Nabe." He almost qualified "an important one," but then recalled who he was talking to.

The raven-haired maid straightened up and brought her full attention on him. "Command me, lord."

"Nabe!"

"Apologies, Momon...san."

"Nabe, I want you to invite one of the workers there to speak with you about magic. She is the blonde girl just there, her name is Arche. Walk over and introduce yourself. Ask politely for her to come to our tent for a conversation. I want to ask her a few questions." Inwardly, Ainz was hoping Nabe's tact was up to the task.

OL

Arche couldn't shake the feeling that this job was going to be different. Probably because it might be the last one she planned to take part in, it was assuming strange dimensions in her mind. She'd run with the chance of death on every one of Foresight's previous jobs, naturally, and had been fighting to escape from her parents' stupidity for years now, ever since she had had to walk away from the Imperial Magic Academy.

Her future had long ago been truncated by events beyond her control. In another world, she might have been a young, talented, attractive, noble magic caster, student of the greatest mage in the empire.

But this was not that world, and she was never going to be that girl. Instead, she was fighting for her life and the lives of Ureirika and Kuuderika. It had taken her a very long time to come to the understanding that her parents were good for nothing, in fact an active danger to her and her sisters. It was an unpleasant realization, that there was truly no one to save her. If she could just finish this last job, she could leave her parents behind for good, and save her sisters from whatever was going to happen when the creditors finally came calling.

She looked around at her teammates. Roberdyck was tending to the fire, occasionally glancing her way with poorly concealed worry. Hekkeran was busy teasing Imina, who was smiling softly. They were a good group; she was lucky to have found them.

The magic caster shivered. She truly hoped her bad feeling was misplaced.

Suddenly she felt a tap on her right shoulder. She turned quickly, surprised since she had heard nothing behind her at all.

Looking up, Arche saw the placid, staggeringly beautiful face of Darkness' magic caster, Nabe. Her companions paused, apparently having noticed her as well.

"Aphid, I am Nabe, of Darkness. I would like to speak with you. Please." The woman's voice was flat and her eyes showed no warmth at all.

"Ah, well, may I ask what you'd like to speak to me about?" Arche asked, a bit uncertain.

The members of Foresight eyed the visitor curiously.

"Magic."

Arche looked at Imina quizzically. The half-elf quirked an eyebrow, then shrugged.

"I'd be glad to speak with you, Ms. Nabe," she said politely as she stood up.

"Excellent. Come with me to m...Momon-san's tent. Please."

Somewhat mystified by the other woman's behavior, Arche nodded. "All right." She turned toward her friends. "I'll be back after while then."

"Have fun!" Hekkeran joked.

Nabe said nothing, and simply walked off. Arche followed quickly.

OL

Walking into the tent, Arche saw the huge figure of Momon, oddly enough still wearing full armor, sitting next to a small sideboard with what appeared to be snacks laid out.

"Welcome, Ms. Arche. I am Momon, of Darkness," the adventurer said as he stood to greet her.

"Ah, hello, sir, it's very good to meet you." Inwardly, Arche was a little concerned. It was hard to imagine that Nabe was entrapping her for some peculiar interest of Momon's, but why was he here to listen to their chat? Was she just being paranoid? A young girl, invited to a man's tent at night... she had already seen a demonstration of his tremendous strength...

Before she could dwell on it too much, Momon motioned for her to sit down. A moment later, he motioned Nabe to sit as well.

Arche reflected that the relationship between these adventurers seemed rather peculiar.

"Ms. Arche, my apologies for having Nabe invite you over here under false pretense. I actually wanted to speak with you myself."

Arche's eyes widened slightly, and she tensed. What exactly was this about?

"Ah, really? Well, may I ask what you wanted to talk about, Momon?" She felt a sudden coldness from Nabe, but the magic caster's expression hadn't visibly changed.

Momon cleared his throat. "I wanted to ask you something, to satisfy my curiosity about workers."

Workers, she thought, relieved. Then it was business, or just curiosity. This looked to be above board. Maybe she _was_ just being paranoid.

"What would you like to know?" She asked with a little more warmth than before.

"It seems that you workers are willing to balance your lives against the possibility of financial gain. While I can understand that to an extent, I was wondering, first, whether you would accept a job like this if the place you were to plunder... belonged to someone."

She recoiled slightly at the suggestion. "Mr. Momon. I would never do such a thing. I... that is, all of Foresight, we are no thieves. This job, as best as our research has shown, is to investigate a newly discovered ruin that is owned by no one and is unknown to history. There is absolutely no way we would take a job as thieves or brigands." Her tone was sharp, and Arche knew her face must look somewhat angry, but the question was quite offensive.

None of her friends would do such a thing. They were honorable people.

Realizing her feelings, Momon raised his hands. "I am sorry, truly. I just want to know what exactly motivates you. I am an adventurer myself, you see, and am unfamiliar with workers. I did not intend to give offense."

Mollified, Arche relaxed slightly. "My friends in Foresight are honorable people. I can understand your concern, though. Not all workers are such... Well, I imagine that you noticed that swordsman with his elf slaves?"

"Yes," the adventurer replied. "It was not an appealing introduction to workers in general."

Arche sighed. "My teammate, Imina, is a half-elf. I have a high regard for all beings, not just humans. Although slavery is legal in the Baharuth Empire, there are those among us who find it immoral."

"Interesting," Momon said. "I appreciate that. I find the practice barbaric, myself."

The girl smiled slightly at this. She felt she had a better idea of the kind of man Momon was now. In this more relaxed frame of mind, she glanced over at Nabe.

The black-haired magic caster was still silent, and kept her gaze fixed on Arche. It was a little unnerving. Apart from his habit of wearing armor all day, Momon seemed pretty relatable. Nabe on the other hand was extremely rigid. There was just something about her...

That's when she noticed, or rather noticed that she did not notice anything. She'd been so out of sorts all day that it hadn't occurred to her before.

"Ms. Nabe, you asked me here to speak about magic, and you're known as the magic caster of Darkness. But why can I not sense any magic about you at all?" She asked before thinking.

She saw a moment of worry on Nabe's beautiful face, before it hardened.

Momon cut her off before she could speak. "Nabe, just a moment. Ms. Arche, can you see the flow of magic? Is it a talent?"

"Well," she glanced at Momon before replying. It wasn't like it was a secret anyway. Her talent (and her history) was pretty well-known around Arwintar between the Academy, the workers, and the adventurers. "Yes, I can. It is the same as that of my former master, Fluder Paradyne. The 'All-Seeing Eyes,' it is called."

While Arche started fixedly at Nabe, Ainz's mind was in a whirl. Fluder's former pupil, with the same exceptionally rare talent? He'd called her here to find out more about her, after Foresight's conversation had piqued his interest. Although he did not find himself feeling much about the fate of humans in general, individual humans could elicit his interest.

Ainz's thoughts went to the little Nemu Emmott girl, her older sister Enri, and Nfirea, then to Tsuare and her late sister. All those humans were quite valuable to him for various reasons. In fact, it was becoming apparent to him that talented human agents were very useful; there were only so many in Nazarick who could safely be dispatched, and then there was always the lurking threat of those who had enchanted Shalltear.

Demiurge and Albedo intended to found a kingdom for him, and he frankly knew nothing about how they were intending him to do this, but he did know for certain that he would be ruling over mostly humans. He had been upset by their plan to allow raiders to test Nazarick's defenses, and had refrained from speaking up about it... but maybe finding another useful human could be a hidden benefit, maybe even help him dodge Demiurge and Albedo's inevitable questions about what was to come next when he drew a wild card like this. Plus, no matter how influential and knowledgeable he was, Fluder was something of a basket case... having some more reasonable human agents in the Empire could prove to be very useful, depending on what Albedo and Demiurge revealed next.

It was worth a gamble. As usual, Ainz decided to wing it.

"Narberal Gamma, cast silence about the tent and remove your ring." He commanded.

Obligingly, Narberal stood, quietly cast the spell, and removed the ring. The moment she did so, Arche gaped and fell soundlessly out of her chair, her wide eyes never leaving Narberal's face.

"Impossible... impossible! How, how can you be this powerful? More powerful than my master? Magic of the seventh tier? Are you... are you a god of magic?" She wondered aloud. Then, at the moment she managed to bring herself to her knees, trembling, she heard a voice.

"Very well then."

Arche turned her attention from Nabe just in time to see Momon remove a gauntlet, exposing a skeletal hand. But the girl had no time to react to this extraordinary sight.

Because then he removed a ring from one of his fingers, and her vision whited out completely.

She vomited onto her hands, shaking in sheer terror at the unbelievable pressure she felt. She could not cry out, or even move. Every nerve was on fire as she felt the unimaginable mana present before her.

It was a long moment before the young girl could raise her eyes to see him. Momon had removed his helmet, showing only a bare skull with piercing red glowing pinpricks for eyes.

"Who... who..." she stammered, gasping.

"I am Ainz Ooal Gown, master of the Great Tomb of Nazarick. The place you and your friends intend to invade and burglarize." Red eyes bored into her own and she found herself unable to move at all. Even her trembling had stopped.

_Everyone is going to die._

The thought entered Arche's mind and she could think of nothing else.

_We're all going to die. We've drawn the ire of a god, and now he's going to kill us all._

Arche did the only thing she could, and ground her forehead into her own vomit.

"Please, please Lord Gown! I swear to you I will not enter your Great Tomb! Having seen your majesty I know you are a god to us! Please, please, spare us!" The girl's voice trailed off.

She was crying now, but was unable to close her eyes. Arche felt hysteria rising in her breast but dared not scream. Anything that might offend this one before her, anything at all, had to be avoided.

_Please give me a way out, some way, anything! Anyone, I just want to see my sisters again!_

Then he spoke.

"Arche, what is your full name?"

"Ah, Arche Eeb Rile Furt, your majesty." For a brief moment she panicked, thinking she must know some more exalted form of address, but he responded before she could think of one.

"A noble?"

"No, not, not anymore, your majesty." She wondered whether she should elaborate, but again he replied.

"Your parents are ruining your family with debt, and you fear for your sisters' fate should you fall. Is that right?"

A horrible choking sob came from the girl. He had cut her to the quick.

"My lord, please, yes, I, I love them, please, I will do anything..." Again she trailed off, crying now. What could she do? Her life would surely end this very night. Perhaps the being before her was just indulging its curiosity. Surely she was no more than an insect to such a one.

The tent was silent for a long moment.

"Arche Eeb Rile Furt. It is within my power to safeguard you and your sisters from all harm."

Hope blossomed in her breast and she struggled to stay in control of herself.

"My, my lord? I don't understand..."

"Raise your head and look at me."

Arche jolted upward and wiped her face quickly, then gazed at the figure before her. It was still blinding, but she was trying not to tremble.

"Arche, if you swear to serve me faithfully, I will reward that service by saving you and your sisters. They will never want for anything, and no one will harm them." He leaned forward slightly. "In exchange, you will give your absolute loyalty to the Great Tomb of Nazarick. Will you serve me willingly?"

There was no alternative presented, but Arche felt she could imagine what would happen if she refused. She was speaking to a god of magic. She had no bargaining position. She could only make one decision. It was fortunate that her noble upbringing had prepared her to be convincing.

"My lord, I swear myself to your service willingly, and I thank you for the opportunity to do so. I will do everything in my power to carry out your will."

The skeletal face did not change expression, but Arche felt as though he was pleased.

"Excellent. Now, Arche, you will prove your loyalty to me, and then we will see about your companions."

Her companions. To Arche, at that moment, it felt like they were ten thousand miles away.

She bowed her head, too terrified to ask anything further of him. "As you wish, my lord."

OL

The day, in Imina's opinion, had not had an auspicious start. For one thing, Arche had returned from her meeting with Nabe last evening with a drawn expression, and only offered curt replies before heading to sleep. Even for the normally taciturn caster, this was odd behavior.

Then this morning, Arche had been peculiarly chatty, speaking happily over breakfast and even giving Roberdyck a hug. In combination with the emotional display from last night, Imina was very worried about her young friend's emotional stability.

Heading into an unexplored tomb, though, was no time to start yammering about this. Arche was a professional; they all were. So she had put on her game face, strung her bow, and headed into the tomb behind Hekkeran.

When your everyday job was a life or death fight, caution was first, second, and third nature. Imina trusted her teammates to have her back, and she focused on watching theirs as the job began.

Now her worry about Arche had been obscured by the ludicrous series of battles they had faced, one after another, as they were no longer exploring, but rather trying to escape this infernal tomb.

Suddenly, though, things had changed. They had hit a teleport gate, from what Arche said, and now they were before the gateway to some strange arena.

"You know, the guy who runs this place may just be using those teleport gates as a leftover from whoever built these ruins. There's no reason to overestimate their power." Roberdyck's calm voice helped her focus.

"Yeah, who knows how old this place is?" Hekkeran added. "Let's not lose the plot just yet, ok?"

His voice was light as usual and served to break the tension. Imina appreciated it, as always. She could always count on Hekkeran.

"Well, any other ideas? I say we go forward. If we can talk to this guy there's always a chance."

Imina nodded her assent, and Roberdyck gave a thumbs up.

"Arche?" Imina said, noticing her teammate's silence.

"Right," the girl shook herself, but did not turn away from the corridor. "Just... don't get careless."

Apparently Hekkeran's words hadn't much reassured her, Imina reflected. But it was time to move, so she patted the blonde on her shoulder and offered a smile. "Let's get through this."

OL

When they entered the arena, there were too many amazing things to notice at once. Imina, for her part, saw the golems and the high stone walls, but the thing that caught her eye was the open sky. "We're outside?" She asked wonderingly.

Just then she saw a small figure fling itself from about six stories up, only to land flawlessly onto the arena ground level.

"Haaaa! Here they are, the foolish invaders of the Great Tomb of Nazarick! These four have been given a great privilege today, to meet the most supreme of Supreme Beings, Lord Ainz Ooal Gown! What will they say? How will they act? Will they live or die? Only our Lord knows!"

With the dark elf's words, the opposite arena gate rose to reveal three figures. Imina could not tear her gaze away from them. The first was a skeleton bearing the most amazing staff she had ever seen, with piercing red lights where his eyes might once have been. Alongside this figure, slightly behind and to the right, walked the most beautiful creature Imina had ever seen. The dark-haired woman had horns on her head and wings coming from her lower back, but these only added to her attractiveness. To the skeleton's left walked an extraordinarily beautiful girl a little younger than Arche, dressed in a dark red gown with a matching bow.

When they stopped walking Imina shook her head as if in a daze, trying to make sense of this sight, then looked at her teammates. Hekkeran's customary grin was gone, leaving a serious, calculating expression in its place. Roberdyck looked grim, but ready to fight. And Arche...

Imina could not believe her eyes.

"Arche, come back!"

The girl was walking boldly toward the skeleton.

"What are you doing, Arche?" Hekkeran called out.

"Arche! Stop!" Roberdyck sounded almost frantic.

But none of them moved, because at that moment Arche, their ever-reliable magic caster, their little sister, the companion who had fought with them for years and never once complained, the young girl Imina recalled thinking had to be lying about being able to use third tier magic, was genuflecting.

She did not merely bow her head, but rather sank to her knees and placed her head and hands onto the sand of the arena floor.

"Your majesty, Lord Ainz Ooal Gown, I have come with my companions as you ordered. Please, command me."

The voice Imina heard was Arche's, but she was having a hard time believing her own senses.

"You have done well, Arche Eeb Rile Furt. Raise your head." As she did so, he called out, "Shadow Demon, show yourself."

From Hekkeran's shadow, to his visible amazement, Imina saw a form black as pitch drag itself into view and fly quickly over to Ainz Ooal Gown.

"Lord Ainz," the black figure bowed.

"Has Arche spoken of me to her companions, or revealed in any way her knowledge of what was to befall these invaders?"

"She has not, my lord."

"Excellent. You are dismissed." He gestured the figure away with a regal motion of his hand, then turned back to look at the humans.

"You have upheld your vow, Arche. As I promised, you will have an opportunity to convince your fellows. Rise, and speak." At his imperious gesture, Arche stood, bowed once more, then turned to face her friends.

"Arche..." Imina did not know what to say. Both Hekkeran and Roberdyck were stunned into silence.

The girl met each of their eyes in turn. "Imina, Hekkeran, Roberdyck. I met Lord Ainz Ooal Gown and observed his magical power. He is no mere magic caster. He is... a god of magic." She shook slightly, then continued. "I offered him my service, and he graciously permitted me to give you, my friends, the same chance. Please, accept this offer and swear fealty."

Imina did not know how to react to this declaration. She was simply stunned into silence.

Then Hekkeran spoke up.

"Arche, no, Lord Ainz Ooal Gown, we heartily apologize for entering this place. I would be glad to offer appropriate—"

"Hekkeran," Arche cut him off, here eyes very wide. "You need to give me an answer, now."

"Arche, how can we—" Roberdyck began, but was unable to say anything further.

"Stop," Ainz intoned. "Arche, they do not have your talent. They clearly do not understand as you did."

The girl's face went white, then she turned around quickly and genuflected again.

"Your majesty, please, I—"

Imina immediately felt the terrible killing intent coming from the two beside Ainz Ooal Gown. It froze her in place, like nothing she had ever felt from an opponent or monster.

"You would beg for yet more from our kind master, who has given you the chance to serve him personally?" The horned angel spoke, clearly enraged. "You need to learn your place."

"Albedo!" Ainz gestured to silence her. "Enough. A lesson may be necessary."

"My deepest apologies, Lord Ainz," Albedo bowed immediately.

Imina glanced over at Hekkeran. She could see the fear from her own eyes reflected in his. If Arche wasn't being magically controlled... what exactly was going on here? What should they do?

Before they could say anything, though, Ainz spoke again.

"Shalltear. This exercise let these intruders trespass onto the floors you guard. I ordered you to abandon your duty there, which I know you take pride in. To give you a measure of peace over this, you may demonstrate the power of Nazarick to these three, so that they understand. Do not kill them."

"I am honored to carry out your wishes, Lord Ainz!" The girl said happily, then strode forward calmly past the still genuflecting Arche without even looking down. "I am Shalltear Bloodfallen, floor guardian of Nazarick. Now, insects, you may attack when ready. I have been ordered to leave you with your lives."

"Can..." Imina spoke, her throat dry. "Can Arche fight with us?"

Shalltear looked to her lord, and Ainz put his hand to his chin. "Very well. Arche, stand and fight with them."

"As you command, your majesty," she replied, then stood and walked over to the rest of her teammates.

"Arche!" Roberdyck said in a harsh whisper. "What is going on here?"

She looked at the priest with damp eyes. "I'm not being controlled, Rober." She glanced at Hekkeran. "Lord Ainz Ooal Gown is more powerful than you can imagine. I did not exaggerate. He is a god. I beg you, please accept his offer."

Roberdyck looked at her fearfully.

"How can we trust this?" Hekkeran whispered tightly in reply. Arche's face twisted.

Imina reached out and put her hand on Arche's, then took a deep breath. "I trust you with my back, Arche."

The girl sniffled audibly. "Please do as I asked, once this fight has ended. I beg you, please."

"Are you truly so convinced?" Roberdyck asked, looking over at the slender, pale girl in the red gown. She looked as though she were attending a party.

"You do not understand," Arche replied softly, taking Imina's hand and squeezing it. "But once you do, I ask that you accept his offer."

Imina looked worriedly at Hekkeran and Roberdyck. The former showed a tight smile, while the latter looked very dark.

"Come on. Let's do this."

OL

Ainz and the others retired to the stands with flight magic, leaving Shalltear Bloodfallen before them.

"Finally ready, insects?" She asked, her beautiful face twisted with an ugly smirk.

"We are," Hekkeran said forcefully, then looked at Imina, then Roberdyck, then last, worried, at Arche.

"You have dishonored my lord twice so far today. I will not forget it. Well then, come," she replied, offering her hand palm down, her fingers extended, as though waiting for a kiss. The party could see that her delicate nails appeared to be painted.

Imina knew that they were going to have to trust Arche here. She nocked an arrow and activated a skill, and three arrows flew toward the girl even as she saw Arche casting **Lesser Strength** on Hekkeran.

The team was working together. Arche would not have betrayed them. She had to hope that—

The girl was gone.

Without any notice at all, she simply disappeared.

Turning as quickly as possible, she heard Roberdyck's hoarse shriek of agony. When she saw him she almost threw up. She noticed that Hekkeran and Arche were similarly affected.

Roberdyck's legs had been removed at the knee, and his heavily muscled arms were simply shredded to ribbons of skin and muscle tissue. But the blood was not falling into the sand.

It was instead floating into a grotesque ball over the now crimson-stained face of the girl, Shalltear Bloodfallen. The ghastly figure dabbed a finger into the stream of blood and delicately placed it between her lips. She smiled.

"Hahahaha! For a priest you don't taste half bad!"

Imina shuddered. All she heard in that voice was enjoyment, like the girl was looking at a piece of cake.

She saw Arche cast magic arrows and Hekkeran move forward, but the spell vanished when it came close to the girl, and as Hekkeran swung his sword the girl simply caught it.

"How disappointing. You're worse than that idiot in Re-Estize."

Imina dashed to the side and sent out more missiles.

The girl just brushed them away, and in the same moment brought her hand across Hekkeran's chest.

She could hear him choking on his own blood while he screamed in agony.

Before Imina could even start screaming, though, before she could move, she felt a cold hand at her neck.

"You're all so very worthless, you know?" She heard the breathy voice in her ear, and then there was nothing but pain as Shalltear leaned down and tore her left leg from her body.

The half-elf lay there in the sand, the abrupt pain so intense and overwhelming that she was going immediately into shock. She vaguely heard voices around her, but she was losing consciousness fast. She saw Arche's face, crying, and there was a brief feeling of being shaken.

_Then, this is the end._ Her mind flashed briefly to Hekkeran, but she couldn't turn to see him. _If only we could have had more time together... I love you..._

Just as the blackness closed in on her, she felt a soaring sensation, like the time Arche had flown her over the tree line and done a flip in the air. Then she felt the cold fade away, and her vision cleared.

Imina pushed herself out of the sand with trembling arms. _My leg, _she thought wonderingly. _It's fine. _

She wondered briefly what sort of magic could perform such a miracle. Then her eyes found Hekkeran, miraculously unharmed. Behind him Roberdyck was on one knee, eyes wide but apparently uninjured.

She let out a sob and ran toward Hekkeran. He embraced her, shaking, and she wept, her tears falling onto the arena floor.

OL

The four of them were bowing before Ainz Ooal Gown now.

"Raise your heads," he ordered. They did so slowly.

"Members of Foresight. You came here for money, but you sought that money to help your companion, to help her sisters. Is that right?"

"Yes, your majesty," Hekkeran began haltingly. "We wanted to help Arche."

"She absented herself from the decision, and we made it for her," Roberdyck stated, his deep voice soft in the expanse of the arena.

"It was our hope that we could help her," Imina finished for them.

"And you were willing to risk your lives to do so..."

Imina watched as the skeletal figure placed his hand to his chin. She wondered what on earth such a being even thought of their worries, of a young girl, sisters, the debt of fallen nobles.

What were they to this Ainz Ooal Gown, whose servants could kill them barehanded, or bring them from the edge of death, with no effort at all?

"I believe," he began after a moment's pause, "that there is no greater honor than laying down your own life for that of a comrade, human or no. It is not a measure of power, but a measure of one's character, that one should do so. The greed of the other invaders that trespassed here has been dealt with in kind, but the honor of these humans is worthy of note, and should be held in esteem. All in Nazarick should recognize this."

Behind him, the two women, the dark elf, another elf, and several other figures bowed at his words.

Imina was frankly astonished to hear this. She was prepared to follow Arche here, purely for self-preservation, but this went beyond her expectations. Ainz Ooal Gown sounded not like a lich, or a monster, or even a noble.

These were the pronouncements of something higher. For Imina, now, Arche's decision made perfect sense. It was not just cowering before absolute strength. They were not swearing themselves to a monster, but to a thoughtful figure who wielded force greater than the four gods.

She truly hoped that Hekkeran and Roberdyck shared her thoughts.

"Arche Eeb Rile Furt."

"Yes, your majesty," Arche answered promptly.

"I have shown your fellows some evidence of my strength. You now have your last chance to ask them to join you in your service. Stand, and speak."

At his regal gesture, Arche stood and faced her friends. She waited a moment, gathering her thoughts, then began.

"You are my companions… my friends, and I wish for you to join me in service to my new master. His power, and his honor, you have seen. I believe in Lord Ainz Ooal Gown. Now, please, give me your answer." Her voice broke as she looked at them.

OL

_I'm so glad they said yes,_ Ainz thought.

It would have been unbearably embarrassing if they had refused, particularly after his impromptu speech that had been motivated by thinking of his old companions. Sometimes just bringing them to mind was enough to make him chatty.

After they had sworn themselves to Nazarick a few hours ago, he'd left them with Narberal Gamma, with instructions to prepare rooms for them on the ninth floor near the servants' quarters.

Ainz had little hope that Narberal would learn to get on well with humans, but he supposed that a little more practice wouldn't hurt. Plus, he needed some time to figure out what to do with the new human servants.

_I probably want to strengthen them a little, then send them out on some simple errands. I need to get Arche's sisters too..._

Both Albedo and Demiurge had been thrown for a loop by this new development, happily. He had kept this plan restricted to himself, Narberal, and the shadow demon he'd tasked to observe Foresight, so they were taken entirely by surprise. Being a little in control of things was good for his composure.

He already had Pandora's Actor ready to manage the worker support party's departure from the tomb. The next business was to send his emissaries to report the crime to the Emperor. He still wasn't sure what this was all supposed to accomplish, but hopefully he would find out soon.

* * *

AN: Well, here I am writing a fanfic despite the fact that I have too much to do already. There are so many good Overlord fanfics out there these days… I just wanted to write one centered on Arche. This story actually came about after I saw a conversation on the Overlord subreddit the other day concerning Arche's fate in the Web Novel. One of the people in the thread didn't know anything about it, and someone kindly linked the text for them. Anyway, I read through the WN part again since it was linked… and I thought of this.

If you have not already checked out Overlord fics by atheistbasementdragon, InkBlotches37, meisking01… you should do that.

Hopefully I'll have another chapter written this weekend, but it depends on the workload as usual. Hope you enjoy it!


	2. A New Role

**The Reeducation of Arche Eeb Rile Furt**

Chapter Two: A New Role

"Worms, you will reside here. I will return in eight hours to take you to breakfast." The beautiful voice was cold.

Glancing about the well-appointed suite, Arche thought it was nicer than the town homes of some nobles she had visited. There was a small foyer, communal living space, what looked to be a cupboard and a sideboard, and four open bedroom doors, seemingly fully furnished with extremely high-quality items. It was leagues better than the rooms they'd had at the Singing Apple.

Arche finally replied when it seemed no one else knew what to say. "Thank you, Narberal...?"

"Narberal Gamma." The dark eyes met her own. Arche instinctively bowed her head.

"Thank you, Narberal Gamma. Is there a washroom we can use?"

"There are en-suite bathing facilities for each room. You will find towels and light clothing for your use as well." If possible, the maid's eyes grew even colder than before. "Demonstrate your gratitude to the Supreme One by serving him. There is no higher purpose in this world."

At that, she turned and left, closing the suite's door behind her.

The members of Foresight were alone, with only the sound of a pendulum clock to break the quiet.

Arche laid her staff against the wall and walked to an overstuffed chair, then proceeded to collapse into it. The other three glanced at each other, then sat down as well. Whatever spells had been cast on them in that arena, their clothes were now unblemished, and they did not even feel the exhaustion one might expect from their hours fighting in the tomb.

The blonde spellcaster took a shaky breath, and her head fell into her hands.

"I'm so glad you're all alive."

Hekkeran chuckled nervously. "Well, is this a dream or what? I know for sure that little girl in the arena cut through my damned ribs _with her hand_, and I was just about gone... what the hell happened?"

Arche looked up at him. "It was magic. One of the dark elves, Mare I think. I think it was an eighth tier healing spell."

Roberdyck gasped. "Eighth tier? Does such magic even exist?"

"That's... Arche, are you saying this Ainz Ooal Gown has that power too?" Imina asked fearfully.

The girl shook her head. "No. His power... it exceeds tenth tier magic, I think. It was so overwhelming it was difficult to tell."

The three of them froze, uncomprehending.

"Tenth tier magic… this unknown tomb… those servants of his… none of this makes sense. How can this be real?" Roberdyck asked.

Arche looked at the priest seriously. "That is why I called him a god. I was not exaggerating, or trying to flatter him. It's the truth, unless you've got some other definition for god I don't know about."

A moment later, she spoke again. "He said he would safeguard my sisters from all harm, if I agreed to serve him willingly. He has the power to do that, and I believe his offer was genuine." She shook her head. "Why offer anything at all? I'm certain he could use magic to force obedience, or just threaten me in a thousand ways... No, Lord Ainz Ooal Gown offered freely. He did not need my help; he gave me a chance to live. He even let me have a chance to save all of you." The girl sniffled, trying to hold back tears.

Imina pondered this for a moment, then leaned over to take Arche's hand. "Thank you for saving our lives."

"I was so terrified you would say no!" Tears were running down her face now, but Arche continued to speak. "I hoped you would trust me... I was so worried about you, Rober," she said to the priest. "I was so afraid you would denounce me and then you would suffer the consequences..."

"Hey, it's all right," the older man replied softly. "We're here thanks to you. The other workers are all dead I imagine, from what he said. You made the right decision."

"So," Hekkeran said softly, looking down. "What now?"

They all looked at him as he sighed and lifted his gaze to Imina.

"His power is real. The power of his servants is real. If Arche's right, Lord Ainz Ooal Gown is a god. It's pretty clear that those who oppose him are in for a hell of a time. What are we doing here?"

None of them wanted to say anything. All remembered the shadow demon that had tracked them before. Here, in his own castle, Ainz Ooal Gown could surely hear them.

Finally Imina spoke.

"That speech of his, when we offered fealty... he didn't sound anything like what I expected. I think we could serve him... honorably."

"He mentioned slavery to me, when I met him," Arche stated. "He was offended by it, offended by that idiot abusing those elf slaves. You know, the emperor dispossessed my family. I'm no longer a noble, and I'm no great fan of the Empire. I've not much respect for nobles in general..." She leaned forward, tears drying on her face. "But from how he acts, how he has treated us... Lord Ainz Ooal Gown seems more like what a king should be."

Hekkeran looked over at their priest. "Rober? What do you think?"

The priest sighed. "I left my old life because I couldn't help people when I wanted to. The temples want money for healing, and adventurers have to play by their rules. Maybe... maybe this could get me closer to what I wanted than just being a worker. This Ainz Ooal Gown... I suppose I'll see what I think as we go. We're in this now, so we have to deal with it, god or no god."

"So, our oaths are given, now we do what we promised. Are we all agreed then, Foresight?" Hekkeran asked, his voice serious.

"I'm fine with it," Roberdyck answered.

"Imina?"

"Why not? This job might turn out better than we think." She smiled at Hekkeran. He was alive. That was enough for now.

"Then that's it," Hekkeran announced. "Foresight, this is the job now."

OL

Imina woke to the chime of a clock, counting five before stopping. Next to her, she heard Hekkeran grumble as he rolled over. For a moment she could almost forget where she was... but the unbelievably soft sheets against her skin, the cool, fragrant air, and the spacious room around her belied her attempt to forget.

She was in the Great Tomb of Nazarick, and she was a servant of Ainz Ooal Gown.

She and Arche had spent the better part of an hour the night before figuring out how the bathrooms worked. Imina knew it was a ridiculous thing to be amazed by after the day she'd had, but the facilities were so perfect and clean it just added to the otherworldliness of the place in which they found themselves.

From the "sixth floor arena" of yesterday that Narberal assured them was indoors, to the unimaginably beautiful and luxurious palace of the "ninth floor," everything in Nazarick, even the plumbing, was amazing.

She shook her head, then leaned over to kiss her lover.

Hekkeran had refused to let her go last night, showing the fear and anxiety he tried to hide from Arche and Roberdyck to her alone as they lay together. They had made love desperately, as though it were the end of the world.

_Perhaps that's what it was,_ Imina thought as she rose from the bed to clean herself up. _And this is the first day of the new world._

With that more hopeful thought in mind, she got ready to face the day.

OL

Things were far from normal as the supremely beautiful Narberal Gamma led them down the hallway, but at the same time, getting breakfast seemed like a very human thing to do.

The members of Foresight had been shocked yesterday to hear from Arche that Darkness was actually composed of Ainz Ooal Gown and Narberal Gamma. Honestly, though, it was just one more revelation piled on top of the others.

Now Narberal, in her very peculiar maid uniform, was leading them to breakfast.

"Ms. Narberal," Roberdyck began, "are there many humans in Nazarick?"

Without a pause, the maid answered, "There are not. Before you arrived, there was only one human here, and she joined us only recently."

The four humans looked at each other with some hesitation. Then they heard the sound of conversation, and Narberal stopped in front of an archway before turning to face them.

"This is the cafeteria. Meals are served here regularly. Find your way here in the future and do not disgrace yourselves, flies."

With that, she walked into the room. Arche followed behind her, with the other three close by.

The sounds of conversation died away quickly when they entered, to be replaced with whispers. All around them the members of Foresight could see what appeared to be strikingly beautiful maids, all of whom were eating.

Narberal led them to a serving line and said nothing further. Hekkeran looked around, trying to appear friendly.

No one appeared to return his friendliness.

Sighing, he tried to retain his composure when, at the front of the line, he saw what were clearly monsters making breakfast.

Imina caught his eye, and shrugged. _What are we supposed to do? It's breakfast._

Hearing Narberal order what sounded like a perfectly normal, if rather substantial, selection of food, they each ordered in turn. Eggs, sausage, bacon... it all seemed perfectly ordinary. Out of whimsy, Arche ordered pancakes, something she had not had in years.

Narberal waited for them, then led them to a table and sat down. They each nervously eyed their plates for a moment before Arche poured syrup from a ramekin over her pancakes, then took a bite.

The girl's eyes grew wide and her expression showed shock. Hekkeran, Imina, and Roberdyck watched her as she swallowed.

"This... these are incredible." She said in wonder after drinking some milk. "These are the best pancakes I've ever tasted." She stopped, then looked at her glass. "This is the best milk I've ever tasted."

With that, they all dug in to find that Arche's verdict was not misplaced.

"This is the best breakfast I have ever had," Imina declared after sampling her bacon.

For whatever reason, Narberal Gamma appeared to be a little happier with them than before.

"Yo!"

Imina shrieked as she felt someone tug on her ears, and turned around to find someone sitting on the chair beside her.

It was a dark-skinned woman with long braided red hair and a cap. She seemed to be wearing something like a cross between a habit and a maid uniform.

And, as Imina was beginning to expect, she was fantastically beautiful.

"Who, ah, who are you?" She asked, mindful of Hekkeran's tension beside her. No one at the table had seen this woman sit down.

"Ahahaha! I'm Lupusregina Beta, of the Pleiades Battle Maids! You four must be the workers who swore allegiance to the Supreme One! Lucky you! Those ones outside were so pathetic. I mean we didn't get to do anything but watch them all bleed to death while the Old Guarders cut them to pieces. They didn't even take very long to die!"

Her tone was very light, but her words and the look in her eyes froze the four of them in place.

"I hope you four can be more entertaining than that... Ouch!"

"Lupusregina, enough," Narberal called, having just smacked the other woman on the head. "They are Lord Ainz's servants, not your toys."

"All right, all right. You're so uptight. Guess I'll get something to eat then. Later~su!"

With that, she got up and scampered over to the serving line.

A bit shaken, they tried to return to their breakfast. Narberal was unperturbed.

OL

Once breakfast was done, Narberal ushered them through a free-standing magical gate, which she did not bother to explain, after which they were back in the arena.

The maid left them there after introducing their new caretakers, Aura Bella Fiora and Mare Bello Fiore.

"Well, Lord Ainz has ordered us to evaluate you here on the sixth floor, since that business with Shalltear didn't show us much."

Aura's words and bright grin brought a shudder to the party.

"I'll be working with you three for a bit. My brother Mare's going to deal with you, spellcaster girl."

With that, Aura motioned the three of them toward what appeared to be rows of skeletons and straw dummies, while Arche turned to regard the quiet elf before her.

"Ah, I'll be testing your magic as Lord Ainz ordered," the elf began in a soft voice.

It reminded her a little bit of her sisters. _But she did say brother, right?_

"Now, what tier of magic can you use?"

"I can cast spells up to the third tier," she answered. At fifteen, it was likely that there was no more experienced mage in the whole of the empire. Arche was not by nature given to boasting; she was a serious girl. Nevertheless, she knew well enough that in Nazarick, her magic power was nothing worthy of note. Arche had been humbled many times in her short life, so she was prepared for it here again.

Mare made a face. "Well, we'll need to work on that... which spells can you use?"

After she went through the list of spells she knew, Mare stared for a moment, then gestured at a peculiar target twenty meters away. It looked like some sort of metal sphere on a pedestal.

"Build up as many magic arrows as you can, then release them at the target," he ordered.

"Of course," she said, then took up her staff.

_Just like drawing a bow, Arche_. She heard the voice of Master Paradyne in her mind, recalling the day she learned to build up multiple instances of the spell.

First one, then another, and another of the shining arrows appeared above her staff. Finally she had five of them, and let them fly.

As she expected, all struck the target dead center. She turned to look at Mare, who regarded her with a bit of a frown. She wasn't sure whether he was disappointed, bored, or just didn't much like humans.

"Cast** Lightning** at it now."

She obliged, once again demonstrating perfect accuracy. **Lightning** was her strongest attack magic, and her long hours of practice had paid off. This time when she turned to Mare, he merely said "Again."

Not wanting to displease him, she did so.

"Again."

She threw the bolt.

"Again."

Another one.

"Again."

Sweating now, she complied.

"Again."

Gasping, she cast once more, and her aim held true.

"Again." The voice had the same intonation as the last time.

Drawing her strength, Arche could feel the burn of mana leaving her body, and the lightning flew.

Then she fell, first to her knees, and then right onto her face in the sand, breathing heavily.

Her head spinning, she heard what sounded like Mare casting a spell. After she caught her breath, she stood up shakily.

"My apologies," she said quickly, not wanting to offend him.

Mare just shrugged, then reached into what appeared to Arche to be a hole in space, and withdrew a bottle.

She stared, astonished, as the elf held it out to her.

The bottle was some sort of glass, but it was very finely made stuff, tinted a light blue color. "Where did you get this?" She asked.

"My inventory," he commented absently. "Drink it."

Glancing at the elf, she unstoppered the bottle, then drank.

It was... refreshing. _Almost like very cold tea on a hot day,_ she thought. Then, as she drank the last of it, she blinked and looked down at herself.

"What... what just happened?" She asked in wonder.

"It's an MP potion. It restores your mana. Now, again," he ordered.

Depositing the bottle carefully behind herself, Arche raised her staff and kept casting.

OL

After two hours and several more potions, Mare called a halt to her practice session.

"Lord Ainz has requested your presence," he said.

Then Mare grabbed her arm, and suddenly they were somewhere else. Mare announced himself to the insectoid figures before the door, one of whom conferred briefly with a maid before announcing, "Lord Ainz will see you now."

They entered the enormous room, and there, not ten meters from her behind a huge desk, was Ainz Ooal Gown.

She genuflected as soon as Mare took a knee, before anyone could tell her to do so.

"I've brought the girl Arche as you requested, Lord Ainz," Mare stated happily. It was clear from his voice that he was pleased to see Ainz.

"Thank you, Mare. Arche, raise your head. You may kneel."

At those words, Arche lifted her gaze and noticed that the white-clad woman, Albedo, was also present. She hurriedly got onto one knee, mimicking Mare.

"Mare, apprise our lord of the girl's performance, please." Albedo requested, her voice strikingly beautiful to Arche's ears.

"I tested her on the level forty training target, Lord Ainz. She can only cast up to third tier magic, but her stamina is unusually high for her level, and she shows very good accuracy and, ah, and mana control."

"Good work, Mare." The dark elf blushed at the praise. "Now, go to your sister and take the other members of Foresight to their quarters once Aura is finished. Then the both of you can return here. I need to speak with this one."

"Of, of course. Thank you, Lord Ainz!" Mare said, then made his exit.

Ainz turned to Albedo. "Albedo, can you use the Tomb's systems to view her?"

Albedo made a gesture, and Arche was astonished to see a strange glass with words of some kind appear in the air before her. After a moment, Albedo turned to Ainz again.

"My lord, it does appear that we can see her status. It is very much the same as the other residents of Nazarick."

"Excellent," Ainz nodded. "What are you able to see?"

"The girl holds levels in Wizard, Academic Wizard, and High Wizard. I believe her overall level should be... seventeen." Albedo's beautiful face showed a frown. "Strange..."

"What is it, Albedo?" Ainz asked, trying to conceal his nervousness. The fact that they could see such information about her directly was extremely interesting to him, and could prove to be extraordinarily useful, but Albedo's remark worried him.

"Lord Ainz, there is something odd about the status display for this girl. I have never seen this particular notation."

Arche, meanwhile, was wondering what on earth they meant by all this. She was extremely anxious that Albedo was finding something wrong about this appraisal, whatever it might be.

"Let me see," Ainz said and opened a display of his own with the staff at his side. He scrolled, finally located her entry, and looked over the data there. It looked standard to him, the classes and levels were perfectly reasonable, though high for what he had seen in this world thus far, no surprises for the most part. No title was listed for her, but otherwise the listing was comprehensible...

_What?_ Ainz thought as his eyes found what Albedo must have seen. _What on earth does this mean?_

There before him was a stamp on Arche's display, in the bottom left corner, that stated **Level Limit Attained, EXP exceeded**, and just beneath it was a gold button.

**Break Limit**.

He'd never seen this before. Even as guild master this option had never appeared, not for an NPC, and obviously not for any guild member.

_The level cap was set by the shitty devs, and the highest it ever got was one hundred,_ he thought. _Perhaps humans in the New World have some limit of their own? Or perhaps it varies by individual? That could explain why someone like Lakyus could cast fifth tier magic, while someone else could not... it could be about potential and level caps, combined with whatever experience they manage to gain._

He glanced up at Arche, whose confusion was apparent.

_Does that mean this girl is at the limit of her growth?_

"Arche," he stated after a moment's thought. "Would you like to become stronger?"

"Wha—, I mean, yes, Lord Ainz. I'm sure I could be of better service to you then." Arche answered in a flustered tone. "I'm a hard worker, and I will do my best to improve."

"Very well. Then, Arche Eeb Rile Furt, I shall grant you strength..."

As Albedo watched, wide-eyed, Ainz tapped the button that she herself did not see on her own console display.

**Are you sure you wish to Break Limit? 250,000 gold will be consumed.**

Ainz hesitated, but then realized that it cost far more than this to resurrect Shalltear, and even that was basically nothing for the treasury. _And anyway, this is an experiment I must carry out. This could be critical in this New World._

He pressed the button.

**250,000 gold has been consumed. Limit Break initiated for Arche Eeb Rile Furt. Max Level is now 100.**

Even as the text appeared, Ainz saw Arche's body enveloped in a shining blue aura, then she floated about one and a half meters off the ground.

"My, my lord! What, what is happening to—" Arche yelled in a panic.

Then her voice abruptly cut off, and her eyes glowed gold, then closed.

In the next moment the blue aura shattered like glass, and Arche floated down gently to the floor. When her eyes opened, Arche dropped her staff and fell to her knees, an expression of awe on her face, her gaze a thousand miles distant.

Ainz was, as per usual, extremely grateful for his skeletal poker face and emotion suppression.

On the display before him, Arche was now level eighteen.

OL

She drew a deep breath, then another, then a third before shaking her head and coming back to herself.

_What the hell was that?_

Arche had never experienced anything like that before. She'd been terrified floating in the air, but then it was as though she had fallen asleep. What followed, though, she knew had been no dream.

A silent corridor of light, the sensation of falling forever... it had been almost ecstatic until she suddenly woke up, like she had fallen out of bed and had the wind knocked out of her.

She looked at her right hand, flexed her fingers.

_I feel... different. Like my magic is just below the surface somehow._

Then it clicked in her mind. _He did what he said he would. I'm stronger now._

Arche bowed her head quickly. "My lord, I forgot myself for a moment. My sincere thanks for what you've done."

Ainz nodded regally at her. "Indeed, Arche. You can now grow as strong as you can imagine, so long as your effort matches your will."

"Thank you, Lord Ainz!"

At that moment, Aura and Mare arrived.

OL

"You will be traveling with Aura and Mare to Arwintar, to deliver an ultimatum to Emperor Jircniv."

What could she say in response to such a declaration? Arche was all too aware that Ainz Ooal Gown had nothing to fear from the Baharuth Empire or its leader, but getting front row seats to such a spectacle... she was honestly shocked that she would be allowed to participate.

"I will be happy to accompany them, your majesty. May I ask what my role will be?" She replied.

"You will guide them to the palace, and to the emperor. You known him by sight, correct?"

She thought back to her presentation to the young emperor when she was a child, and the second time she had seen him at a state function.

"Yes, though I do not know him personally, your majesty."

"Lord Ainz," Albedo interjected, "I would like permission to attire this girl in a state befitting one included in a delegation from Nazarick."

"Hmm," Ainz drew his hand to his chin. "Very well. Albedo, I will come with you and Arche to the treasury and give her some reasonable equipment, and a better staff as well. Something appropriate to her level and classes..."

He stood gracefully, then addressed Aura and Mare. "Why don't you both come along as well?" They stood in assent, and Arche rose afterward.

Ainz warped them all to the door before the treasury. The casual use of teleportation magic, for the whole group no less, still astonished her, but on the heels of whatever he had done to her just before…

_Things here move very quickly_.

Idly, Arche wondered what Ainz was planning to provide for her. For years now she'd been using the same magic staff and basic armor, since all her money had gone to paying her parents' living expenses and debts. The equipment worn by everyone she had seen in Nazarick was extraordinary.

Even the maids from the cafeteria had been wearing heavily enchanted magic maid uniforms. Just thinking about how much gold such extravagance would cost hurt her head. If the Baharuth Emperor went mad and forced the whole Imperial Magic Academy to enchant maid uniforms and nothing else for ten years, they might be able to outfit as many maids as Ainz Ooal Gown had with something approaching that level of quality.

As for what Narberal Gamma was wearing? Or Mare?

Arche was perfectly confident that no amount of money would suffice to acquire such equipment, anywhere in the world. _Nonpareil_ failed to do their items justice.

Then the maid accompanying them opened the door, and Arche saw a very strange sight. A tall being with a blank face with black eyes and a mouth, with disturbingly long fingers, wearing some sort of yellow outfit she'd never seen. The being snapped to attention as they entered.

"Mein creator! How marvelous that you have chosen to visit, what fantastic things did you need from the TREASURY OF NAZARICK this beautiful day?" After a series of wild gesticulations, the strange figure bowed courteously.

Arche had never seen such a performance, even at the Magic Academy. And there had been some absurd specimens there. _Honestly, I wonder what those entitled jokers are up to now anyway_.

Ainz sighed audibly.

"Pandora's Actor. I have come for some equipment for this new ally of ours, Arche Eeb Rile Furt. She is a human magic caster."

"Of course, Lord Ainz! Would you like me to offer suggestions for this young maiden's accessories? A fine set of **Valkyrie Armor** perhaps, for the lovely blonde beauty?"

"Pandora's Actor," Albedo interjected, glaring at the doppelgänger. "Please." She turned to Ainz. "Lord Ainz, may I suggest **Boots of Striding** and a **Cloak of Elvenkind**, since she is but a frail human? And some reasonable standard mage wear, in gold and blue."

Ainz nodded. "A good suggestion, Albedo. But she will need a few more items. Pandora's Actor, retrieve... hmm... a **Ring of Regeneration**, a **Wizardry Staff**, and... a **Velvet Crown**. That should suffice."

"Yes, Lord Ainz!" With that, Pandora's Actor turned to gather the materials.

"Arche."

"Yes, Lord Ainz!" She said, startled out of her reverie.

"Albedo will show you to the changing room off to the left here."

As he spoke, Pandora's Actor returned with the equipment, and Albedo took custody of it.

"Follow me."

Arche did so, eager to avoid Albedo's bad side. Based on what she had seen thus far, Albedo seemed to be second only to Ainz himself in the hierarchy of Nazarick. She wasn't sure what that meant in terms of strength... but she was hardly naive enough to suppose Albedo could be trifled with.

"Get changed," Albedo gestured to a side door. "Be quick about it, and do not waste Lord Ainz's time. He is already being unimaginably generous to you."

"Of course," Arche assented uneasily. It seemed she was already on the other woman's bad side. That would need to be rectified.

Arche slipped through the side door and found herself in a large room with mirrors lining the walls and several benches and clothes hanging racks. Naturally everything was absurdly well crafted.

She got changed in a hurry, very curious to see what these items were. She'd never heard of any of them, but the names sounded very promising… and they were shining with magic under her gaze.

The clothing was enchanted (well, it was all enchanted) and so neatly sized itself to her as she put it on. It turned out to be a white blouse with blue and gold trim, a broad collar with a kerchief of some kind, and detached sleeves, along with a knee-length skirt and trimmed blue leggings. The slim boots were a deep brown, and very comfortable once she put them on. The cloak was equally fine, feeling as though it had hardly any weight to it at all.

She put the ring on her right hand, then placed the strange velvet circlet on her brow.

Lastly, she picked up the staff.

It was a two-handed staff, but light, with deep red and brown wood in an S-curve near the top. The head of the staff was some strange red gemstone. Arche hoped it was not actually a fist-sized ruby.

The moment she took up the staff, it was as though she felt magic actually flow through her veins. _Whatever this is... I don't think I'll find its match soon._

Arche finished up quickly, and emerged from the changing room carrying her old outfit in a small bag that had been included by Pandora's Actor with her equipment.

"My apologies for the delay, Lord Ainz. Thank you for this equipment." She said sincerely.

Ainz seemed to be in a good mood, for whatever reason.

"Let me tell you what they do. Your **Boots of Striding** should make it so you will not tire even after a fifty mile march. When you raise the hood of that **Cloak of Elvenkind** you should be almost invisible, especially in woodland, though it will work well even in a crowded room. The **Ring of Regeneration **will heal you gradually if you are ever injured. It should drag you back even from the brink of death, given sufficient time."

Arche gaped at this list of wonders delivered in such a nonchalant fashion.

Ainz continued, "The **Wizardry Staff** raises the power of all magical attacks, makes you more dexterous, and increases your overall magic using capability. Finally, that **Velvet Crown** has a number of effects you may find useful. Take it off for a moment."

Arche complied dumbly.

"First, it will automatically cast **Feather Fall** if, for example, you should fall off a cliff. You would then float unharmed to the ground."

The blonde girl stared at the small circlet in wonder.

"Second, it has some active effects. These may be useful in case of any danger, so pay attention. At a mental command, the crown can exercise one of three spells. A five meter range of **Silence** once every three hours, a five meter range of **Darkness** once every hour, or **Freedom**, once per day. Do you know what that last spell is, Arche?" He asked patiently.

"N-no, your majesty. I am sorry but I do not." She said nervously.

"It's all right. **Freedom** can be used to escape restraints of all sorts, like manacles, a **Hold** spell, or a web. This crown will allow you to escape confinement if captured, assuming you are clever in using it. Do you understand?"

Arche could not help but stare wonderingly at Ainz for a moment. "Yes, your majesty. I truly appreciate the use of these items of yours!"

Ainz shrugged. "Consider them yours, so long as you serve Nazarick."

The girl felt faint. "Thank you for your generosity, Lord Ainz!" She said, bowing again.

"Does she make a presentable appearance for Nazarick, Guardian Overseer Albedo?" Ainz asked.

"She does, Lord Ainz. Thank you for indulging me. It would not do for a representative from the Great Tomb of Nazarick to be outfitted inappropriately, or to be unable to defend herself." Albedo replied cordially.

"That was very thoughtful of you, Albedo. I'm pleased to see you taking the initiative like this."

Albedo made a sound that seemed rather erotic, and clasped her hands tightly. Aura looked at her brother and rolled her eyes.

Ainz cleared his throat. "All right then. Pandora's Actor, we're leaving."

When they were back in Ainz's office, he addressed Arche again.

"Go deposit your old things in your quarters. I trust that you will find it acceptable to reside with your sisters in that suite for now?"

_Her sisters._ Arche had to bite her lip not to cry out. "Your majesty, I would be very happy to have them with me, if it pleases you." She desperately hoped she would not have to wait long to see them again.

"Hmm, very well. Once this task with the emperor is finished, we will retrieve them. For now, while you and your companions become accustomed to your duties, they will reside here. You will be responsible for keeping them out of trouble."

Ainz of course had no desire to see two little girls get injured through negligence in Nazarick.

"You are very magnanimous your majesty. Thank you very much," Arche replied, trying to control herself.

OL

On the walk back to her quarters, Arche reflected on what she needed to do. Ainz stated she had two hours before Aura and Mare would meet her outside Ainz's office, and then they would depart for Arwintar. It seemed like rather a long break for her to get lunch, but she hadn't argued the point.

She had the feeling they would not be taking a carriage to the capital, but did not ask any questions. For now, she needed to eat something and drop off her old equipment.

Arche entered the suite without knocking, only to find her companions sitting in the living area, looking worn out.

"Arche!" Imina cried. "Where have you been..." her voice trailed off as she noticed the fine clothing and equipment her friend was wearing. "What is all that?"

Arche smiled softly. "I was given these items by Lord Ainz. He's sending me to Arwintar with the elf twins to confront the emperor."

At this they were all taken aback for a moment. Then Hekkeran rolled his eyes.

"I guess that would surprise me... but it really shouldn't any more."

"What are you going to tell him?" Roberdyck asked.

"I think they're going to demand his presence to apologize for the invasion of Nazarick," Arche answered quietly. "I'm just going along to point out the palace and the emperor, I think."

She set her items down on her bed and came back in.

"Are you sure that's all?" Imina asked, looking thoughtful.

"What are you thinking?" Hekkeran asked her.

"I'm thinking that Lord Ainz Ooal Gown doesn't do things by halves. Maybe sending Arche is a message. She's Fluder Paradyne's former apprentice, her family was dispossessed by the emperor... there could be a lot of potential signals there." She frowned, trying to work it out.

"I don't know what he means by sending me, but it must be at least a little important. He said I can bring my sisters back when it's done." Arche looked hopeful.

"They're going to come here?" Roberdyck asked worriedly.

"I know, I'm worried too, Rober, but he said I can let them live with me while we figure out what our job here is going to be," she said. "I mean, at least I can be with them here."

"I hope it turns out all right," the priest said softly.

"What about that fancy new gear?" Hekkeran asked, changing the topic. "That a reward?"

"No, not really," Arche said. "Guardian Overseer Albedo suggested that I take it. I think she wanted me to look the part, and also not to get killed if something goes wrong."

"Is it as good as it looks?" Hekkeran queried.

"Better," the mage said, shaking her head. "It's incredible. I'll tell you all about it later, but I have to get something to eat and then get back to work."

"We'll join you then," Imina offered. "That training this morning was brutal." The others nodded somberly.

"Yeah..." Arche said softly. "I have something else to tell you guys about later, too. Not now though."

Imina looked worried, but nodded. The others seemed to agree.

With that, they made their way to the cafeteria, hopeful for another excellent meal.

OL

"Lord Ainz, may I ask why you are so interested in that human girl and her companions?" Albedo asked. She was at once genuinely curious about her master's plans and compelled to inquire about any woman who garnered his attentions.

Ainz looked up from the report on his desk and thought for a moment. He was not always entirely honest with the Guardians, but this was a time he could be mostly clear.

"Albedo, you saw earlier that this girl had reached the level cap, correct?"

"Yes, I did."

"But her level cap was much lower than expected. I believe that the residents in this world, not just humans but all races, will have some level cap, but it will be individual in nature. In other words, this girl worked very hard and reached great strength, but she would never have been able to attain the power of that woman who leads Blue Rose, Lakyus, for example. We do not even truly understand how experience gain functions here."

"You intend to use her as an experiment, then?"

"Indeed. She now has a level cap of one hundred. I do not know if she will ever gain sufficient experience to reach that high, but I imagine that with our support and focused leveling with our tools, she could become more powerful than any human we have yet seen."

"Lord Ainz... can we really trust a human with such power? Is it worth the time and resources of Nazarick?" The Guardian Overseer sounded concerned.

"I appreciate your concern, Albedo. It befits you as head of Nazarick's Guardians to be so responsible." He inclined his head toward her.

Albedo trembled with pleasure under this praise.

"However, the most important resource of all is information. Through Arche, we will probe the limits of human potential in this world. The minor items we've provided her, caring for her sisters, and giving her companions their lives... all this is of little cost to us, but will serve to build trust and loyalty. I believe she can be made to respond in kind." Ainz tried his best to sound definite about this. Certainly he was not averse to killing when necessary, but he had little desire to harm children.

_Surely, though, Arche will understand that it's not just in her best interests to work with us, but the best interests of everyone she holds dear._

"As usual, Lord Ainz, I am in awe of your deep thinking. To have plucked this girl from the worker teams sent on an unrelated mission... then planning to use this girl to explore the fundamental role of levels in this world... to engender a sense of gratitude in this human at little cost and with great return... to showcase Nazarick's power by exhibiting this girl's strength out in the world… and then to use her to further perplex the Baharuth Emperor in negotiations..." Albedo smiled brightly and bowed her head. "My lord, truly you are the Supreme One. I can only hope to continue to serve you forever!"

Ainz was, as usual, embarrassed by the praise, and in addition did not really understand her last points. "No, no Albedo. I rely on your abilities to see such possibilities. You are invaluable to me, and a tremendous help every day."

"Truly?" She replied, eyes shining.

"Ah, yes, truly. Now Albedo, be sure to put out the word to be patient with our new residents... but most especially those two sisters of hers once they arrive. I do not want them harmed. Their well-being depends on Arche's behavior, but so too does her loyalty rest on their well-being."

"Of course, Lord Ainz. I will ensure your wishes are carried out. The two human girls will be given special latitude." She inclined her head, her wings still shivering from her master's compliments.

OL

AN: I'm really glad to see the positive response here. Thanks for all the reviews! For the record, I don't have any issues with the LN plot for Arche; I just thought this would be an interesting alternative, and a chance to explore Nazarick's residents a little.


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